For a coffee morning, sliced multigrain sourdough is a convenient choice if you want to serve several guests without having to plan around the oven. Choose a bake-at-home baguette if you want to take fresh bread out of the oven just before serving, but allow time for defrosting and baking. Don’t rely on ‘multigrain’ or ‘sourdough’ alone to make your decision: check whether the bread is wholemeal, as well as its ingredients, allergens and nutritional information.
If you want to make sandwiches and serve bread to several guests without switching on the oven, a whole pre-sliced loaf is a practical choice. For example, Albert Heijn lists a sliced 800 g OerDesem multigrain loaf.
Part-baked baguettes or demi-baguettes are a good fit if you have a baking time in mind. Check in advance how much oven space and preparation time your chosen product needs.
If wholemeal content, ingredients or allergens will determine your choice, look beyond the word ‘multigrain’. The Voedingscentrum distinguishes between multigrain and wholemeal bread. For allergen information, the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority recommends checking the details before buying.
First decide whether you want to serve the bread straight away or have time to bake it. Then compare the labels of the bread styles that suit your coffee morning.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who should pay particular attention? |
|---|---|---|
| Serving a group | Check whether the bread is sliced and how much is in each pack. | If I want to serve bread to several guests without slicing or using the oven, convenience comes first. Around 30% of consumers prioritise this convenience. |
| Crust and baking time | Check whether the bread needs baking and how long it takes to defrost and bake. | I want to take the bread out of the oven just before serving and can make time for it. For around 30% of consumers, baking the bread at home is the priority. |
| Wholemeal content and fibre | Look for ‘wholemeal’ in the name and ingredients; compare fibre content on the same basis, such as per 100 g. | When choosing between multigrain loaves, I want to know which ones are actually wholemeal. This is the deciding factor for around 20% of consumers. |
| Ingredients and labelling | Read the latest allergen information and, if needed, check the salt content per 100 g and whether iodised salt or baker’s salt is listed. | I’m buying bread for guests with specific ingredient requirements or allergies and want to be able to check the label. Around 20% of consumers prioritise these checks. |
Multigrain tells you which types of grain are used, but it doesn’t automatically mean that the whole grain has been used. That’s why the Voedingscentrum distinguishes between multigrain and wholemeal bread.
If wholemeal content is one of your buying criteria, check the product name and ingredients.
Jumbo’s multigrain sourdough baguette lists both sourdough and yeast in its ingredients. So the word ‘sourdough’ doesn’t always tell you which raising agents have been used together.
Check the ingredients list if you’re looking for bread without added baker’s yeast.
According to the Voedingscentrum, bakers aren’t required to use baker’s salt. So you can’t tell whether it’s included from words such as ‘artisan’, ‘organic’ or ‘sourdough’.
Check the label for ‘baker’s salt’ or ‘iodised salt’, or ask about it when buying unpackaged bread.
A product name doesn’t list all the ingredients or potential allergens. Product information can also change.
Read the latest packaging before buying, and ask the seller for allergen information when buying unpackaged bread.
AH OerDesem dark multigrain is an 800 g pre-sliced whole loaf for anyone who wants to serve bread straight away.
Jumbo describes rustic sourdough loaves baked in store and also lists a part-baked multigrain sourdough baguette.
Lidl lists a 600 g organic rustic brown multigrain sourdough loaf with seeds and kernels as an in-store product.
ALDI lists a pre-sliced farmhouse wholemeal multigrain loaf for anyone who wants to serve a whole loaf.
PLUS lists a multigrain sourdough loaf with buckwheat, as well as separate multigrain sourdough demi-baguettes to bake at home.
Dirk lists a 440 g rustic multigrain baguette to bake at home.
These two Lekhaven Bakkerij options are multigrain baguettes for a coffee morning when you want to bake the bread yourself. For the option you choose, pay particular attention to the quantity in the pack and allow enough time to prepare it.
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A bake-at-home option if you want to serve the baguettes fresh from the oven at your coffee morning.
The title lists 4 × 135 g × 2. Check the total number of baguettes in this option if you’re planning portions for a group.
According to the product description, allow around 4 hours to defrost, then bake for 5–7 minutes at 220 °C. If you’re serving guests, check the latest ingredient and allergen information. Also check the label if wholemeal content or iodised salt matters to you.
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A bake-at-home option if you can fit some time in the oven into your coffee morning preparations.
The title lists 4 × 135 g. Check the total quantity in the pack before working out portions for your guests.
According to the product description, allow around 4 hours for the bread to defrost, then bake for 5–7 minutes at 220 °C. Check the latest packaging for ingredients and allergens; check the wholemeal content and type of salt if these will affect your choice.
No. According to the Voedingscentrum, multigrain refers to different types of grain, but this doesn’t automatically mean the whole grain has been used. If this matters to you, check for ‘wholemeal’ in the product name and ingredients.
No. Sourdough and baker’s yeast can both be used in a product. Jumbo lists both in the ingredients of its multigrain sourdough baguette, so check the ingredients list if you’re looking for bread without added yeast.
Before buying, read the latest allergen information for the specific bread. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority emphasises that consumers must be able to get this information before buying. If you’re buying unpackaged bread, ask the seller.
Yes, as long as you follow the storage instructions for your chosen loaf. Albert Heijn says AH OerDesem dark multigrain can be frozen on the day of purchase and should be used within one month of freezing.
It varies by product, so read the baking instructions before planning when to serve it. For example, PLUS says its sourdough demi-baguettes take 8–10 minutes to bake at 220 °C. A baguette that needs to defrost first will require extra planning.
